Frame or easel.



M. KAR?.

FRAME 0R BASEL. APPLI'OATION FILED DEO. 17, 1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

'UNXTED STATES PATENT OFFCE.

MORRIS KARP, 0F IPASSAIC, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO PASSAC METAL WARE COMPANY, 0E PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FRAME 0R EASEL.

Application filed December 17, 1912.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, MORRIS KAR?, a citi- Zen of the United States, and resident of Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful 4lmprovements in Frames or Easels, of which the following is a speciication.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap and efficient frame or easel having means to support the same while standing on edge in an inclined position, which means may be readily folded fiat against the back of the frame or easel when not in use, whereby the device may be easily set up in position for use.

ln carrying out my invention I provide a frame or the like having a tongue at the back portion, and a leg or strip attached to said frame and overlying said tongue, said leg or strip having a brace adapted to eX- tend inwardly toward the frame and to engage said tongue whereby the leg or strip may be retained spaced from the frame to serve in supporting the latter in an inclined position, and whereby when the brace is released from the tongue the latter and the leg may be folded fiat against the frame in a compact manner.

My invention further comprises novel details of improvement and combinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyino' drawings forming part hereof, wherein,

4igure l is a rear view, partly broken, of a frame or easel embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2, 2 in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3, 3, in Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4, 4, in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5, 5, in Fig. 2.

At A is indicated generally a. frame of any desired construction suitable'for carrying or support-ing a card, picture or other display material. In the form shown said frame comprises a body having a front plate or member l and a back plate or member 2, secured together by the turned-over edge portions 1b of plate or member l receiving and holding plate or member 2. Secured to member 2 is a tongue 3, shown held against the outer surface of member 2 by clips 4, 5, which may be in the form of metal strips mainly located between members l,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

serial No. 737,186.

2, the end portions of said strips passing through openings in the part 2, and being bent back to clanp tongue 3 upon member 2, as in Figs. 3 and 4. The upper portion of tongue 3 is thus secured against member 2 while the lower portion of said tongue below clip 5 is free to be bent outwardly. rlhe tongue may be made of any suitable material that will readily bend below the clip 5, such as cardboard, metal and the like.

At 6 is a leg or strip secured -upon member 2 outside of tongue 3 and shown secured to the latter by the clip 4. rlhe leg 6 and the tongue 3, near the upper ends, are shown provided with notches at the edges, indicated at 7, receiving the bent-over ends of clip 4, whereby said tongue and leg are retained from movement lengthwise upon member 2. The portion of leg 6 below clip 4 is free to be bent outwardly, and said leg 6 is shown provided with a brace 6a formed by cutting the material of the leg in suitable shape, at G", and bending' part GiL at (Se in the nature of a hinge joint. rlhe free end of brace member (ifL is provided with a slot (5f1 (Fig. 4), adapted to receive the reduced or projecting end 3a of tongue 3. The slot 6d is near the end of brace 6at and the lower projecting end 3 of tongue 3 is between the lower side shoulders 3b of said tongue, which act as stops against the upward spring tendency of brace 6a, when the part 3a is in the slot 6d (see Figs. 2 and 4). The upper part 6e of leg 6 is shown extending freely above clip 4 and provided with an opening 6I by which t-he device may be hung upon a nail or hook when the part Ge is bent outwardly sufliciently.

With the device assembled as described, the brace 6SL may be released from tongue 3, folded upwardly, and the leg 6 folded flat against the back of member 2, for compact storage. When the device is to be used, as shown in Fig. 2, leg G is drawn outwardly, brace (3 is pushed inwardly and downwardly, and tongue 3 is pulled outwardly to enable its projection 3a to enter slot Gd in brace Ga, as in Fig. 2. The connection of brace G with tongue 3 is such as to cause said parts to remain together owing to the upward spring tendency of brace 6 and the inward spring tendency toward member 2 of tongue 3. The parts will thus be retained sufliciently firmly in set positions whereby the frame may be set up as an easel cli in an inclined position. When it is not desired to use the device in the manner of an easel leg 6 and tongue 3 may be folded flat against member 2, and by moving the part 6EL outwardly its opening 6i may be applied upon a nail, hook or the like for hanging the frame in any desired position.

Having now described my invention what I claim is l. A device of the character described comprising a body member, a tongue attached on and depending along one face thereof and free therefrom at its lower portion, a leg attached to said member and provided with a brace having an upward spring tendency, and means for detachably connecting the lower tree end of said tongue with said brace, the brace by its spring tendency retaining connection with said tongue.

2. A device of the character described comprising a body member, a flexible tongue attached on and depending along one face thereof and free therefrom at its lower portion, a leg attached to said member and adapted to be moved toward and from the same, said leg having a brace movably connected therewith, said tongue having a projection at its lower end and a shoulder thereabove, said brace having a slot receiving said projection, said brace engaging said shoulder for detachably connecting said tongue and brace together.

3. A device of the character described comprising a body member, a flexible tongue attached to the rear face thereof and provided with a projection at the lower portion, and a leg attached to said member behind said tongue, and having a brace cut from the material thereof adapted to told inwardly toward said member, said brace having a slot near its free end to receive the projection of said tongue.

il. A device of the character described comprising a frame, a back member attached thereto, a lexible tongue on the outer side of said member, a clip attaching said member and tongue together, a leg upon the outer side of said member, and a clip attaching said member, tongue and leg together, said leg having a brace movably connected therewith to extend toward said back member, said brace and tongue having a slot and projection for retaining said leg in extended position.

5. A device of the character described comprising a frame, a back member attached thereto, a. flexible tongue on the outer side of said member, a clip attaching said member and tongue together, a leg upon the outer side of said member, and a clip attaching said member, tongue and leg together, said leg having a brace movably connected therewith to extend toward said back member, said brace and tongue having means for detachably connecting them together for retaining said leg in extended position, said leg having a free portion above its retaining clip provided with an opening to receive a support.

Signed at Passaic, in the county of Passaic, and State of New Jersey, this 13th day of December, A. D. 1912.

MORRIS KARP.

lVitnesses XVM. F. GASTON, M. J. DU Bois, E. P. CATTERFIELD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for nve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

